3.America is an example of a representative democracy.

Chapter 1: Understanding American Politics

TRUE/FALSE

1.The trend in the United States in recent years has been toward the decriminalization of marijuana.ANS: T DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Remembering 2.To the Founders, equality was the central principle of the new government.ANS: F DIF: Difficult

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding 3.America is an example of a representative democracy.ANS: T DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Applying 4.The main reasons we have government are to provide order and to promote the general welfare.ANS: T DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Remembering 5.Federalism refers to the division of power across the local, state, and national levels of government.ANS: T DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Remembering 6.James Madison was concerned about the possibility that no faction would be able to gain a majority and thus the government would not function.ANS: F DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding 7.The free rider problem occurs because people can share in the benefits of a public good whether or not they helped provide it.ANS: T DIF: Difficult

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding 8.Politics occurs only in the context of government decision making.ANS: F DIF: Easy REF: What Is Politics?

OBJ: Define politics and identify three key ideas that help explain politics.

American Politics T oday, 4e William Bianco, David Canon (Test Bank All Chapters, 100 % Original Verified, A+ Grade) 1 / 4

MSC: Remembering

• Politics is conflictual because politicians rarely listen to the commonsense voices of the American

public.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate REF: What Is Politics?

OBJ: Define politics and identify three key ideas that help explain politics.

MSC: Understanding

• Conflict is inevitable because there are some issues, such as abortion, where there is no national

consensus and no compromise position.

ANS: T DIF: Difficult REF: What Is Politics?

OBJ: Define politics and identify three key ideas that help explain politics.

MSC: Applying

• When the authors say that political process matters, they mean that we should pay attention to both the

rules that decision makers must follow and the political actors who participate.

ANS: T DIF: Difficult REF: What Is Politics?

OBJ: Define politics and identify three key ideas that help explain politics.

MSC: Applying

• The way that people make decisions about politics is similar to how they make decisions in other areas

of their lives.

ANS: T DIF: Moderate REF: What Is Politics?

OBJ: Define politics and identify three key ideas that help explain politics.

MSC: Understanding

• Compared to most European democracies, the United States has been relatively free of class-based

politics because economics is not an important source of political conflict in America.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate REF: Sources of Conflict in American Politics OBJ: Identify major sources of conflict in American politics. MSC: Understanding

• Cultural issues include social spending on the poor and proper taxation levels.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate REF: Sources of Conflict in American Politics OBJ: Identify major sources of conflict in American politics. MSC: Remembering

• Race and gender are significant in American elections because they remain important sources of

political disagreements and identity politics, which can influence individual voting behavior.

ANS: T DIF: Difficult REF: Sources of Conflict in American Politics OBJ: Identify major sources of conflict in American politics. MSC: Understanding

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• In recent years, Washington and Colorado have become the first two states to do what?
• offer a path to citizenship for illegal residents
• guarantee a minimum income to all residents
• abolish the use of the death penalty 2 / 4

• legalize abortion
• decriminalize possession of marijuana

ANS: E DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Remembering

• The “tossed salad” version of assimilation is most consistent with which view of American racial and

ethnic relations?

• the melting pot approach d. elitism
• multiculturalism e. pluralism
• racial separatism

ANS: B DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding

• What are the two main, broad purposes of government?
• provide for national defense and protect against tyranny by the majority
• provide order and help to promote the general welfare
• ensure there is justice and freedom from want
• ensure economic prosperity for the nation as a whole and protect civil liberties for

individuals

• provide membership in the United Nations and be recognized by other nations

ANS: B DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding

• The Greek philosopher Aristotle developed a classification scheme for governments that was based on

three distinguishable types:

• constitutional systems, presidential systems, and parliamentary systems.
• unitary systems, federal systems, and confederations.
• monarchy, aristocracy, and polity.
• rule by none, rule by one, and rule by law.
• executive, legislative, and judicial systems.

ANS: C DIF: Easy

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Remembering

• What did British philosopher Thomas Hobbes mean by the term “state of nature”?
• a belief that all people were basically good
• a belief that the laws of nature gave kings the right to rule by divine right
• life without any existing government
• a world in which people lived in harmony
• the idea that a society without government was best because it was how the “state of

nature” intended things to be

ANS: C DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding

• The U.S. Constitution states that the national government must “insure domestic Tranquility.” How

does the U.S. government perform that function? 3 / 4

• It does so through law-enforcement agencies that include the FBI, the National Guard, and

the Department of Homeland Security.

• It does so through military protection provided by the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard,

and Air Force.

• It does so through the system of checks and balances outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
• It does so through the powers granted to the president of the United States in Article II of

the U.S. Constitution.

• It does so through agencies that include the Justice Department, the Department of the

Interior, and the State Department.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Applying

• Which of the following did the Founders of the United States cite in the Constitution as a reason to

have a government?

• to secure liberty
• to enshrine a two-party system
• to provide a basic standard of living
• to protect individuals from themselves
• to conquer territory, build empires, and promote national interests around the world

ANS: A DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding

• John disagrees with a decision of the government and expresses his view in an article in the local

newspaper. This is an example of which American political value?

• liberty d. fraternity
• equality e. multiculturalism
• democracy

ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: Sources of Conflict in American Politics OBJ: Identify major sources of conflict in American politics. MSC: Applying

• For James Madison, the notion that government is necessary depended strongly on:
• his belief that people are self-interested and could not be trusted to rule themselves.
• his belief that direct democracy was the only legitimate way to make collective decisions.
• his desire to see the United States serve as a functioning colony of Great Britain.
• his view that people were willing to sacrifice freedoms to make democracy work.
• his belief that factions could only be eliminated through force.

ANS: A DIF: Moderate

REF: Making Sense of American Government and Politics

OBJ: Describe the basic functions of government. MSC: Understanding

• If one group took power and established an official state religion, James Madison would likely

describe the situation as:

• part of the “brutish state of nature.”
• a stage in the evolution of government.
• unfortunate but inevitable and outside the scope of government to prevent.
• the best possible outcome given the desires of a majority of the people.
• an example of the tyranny of a faction imposing its will on the rest of the nation.

ANS: E DIF: Difficult

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